News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-01-06
THE COON CAME DOWN.
ca TAIN MARTIN sCorroF VERMONT
Fellow nfIicer is Cured of consumption by
Ono of His Unerring Bullets-The Cape
tain's Clever DOings-His Visit Homo.

knoNGe
He was really one of the most inter
esting of men, with ii curious and ad-
venturous history. 1t is strange that so
capable a man should have gone down
to history appended, so to speak, to
coon. To begin, let us have the coon
story.
1 bis story was first printed in coun-
try paper of New York State about
1910. At that time the coon had con-
siderable political significance, and the
story may have been told as a political
anecdote. The tale is as follows:
Capt. Martin Scott, who was a noted
rifle shot, was out in the woods one day
with party of friends hunting. They
were scattered through the woods, each
hunting separately. One of the party
at length came upon raccoon that was
sitting in one of the highest branches of
very tall tree. He fired at him and
missed. One by one e rest of the
party came up and tried their hand,
each missing the distant coon. who
grew saucer as they proceeded. At
length Capt. Scott arrived, and was in
the act of pulling the trigger when
the coon looked slyly around the limb
and said:
''Who are vou?"
81 am Scott"
"What Scotia"
81 am Captain Scott"
''Are you Capt. Martin Scotia
''The same"
''Weu," said the coon, unlimbering
himself, ''you need not shoot; I will
come down"
When twelve years old Martin Scott
was living at Bennington, Vt. A bear
made its appearance in that neighbor-
hood, doing great havoc amongst the
focks. The people organized in squads
to hunt it Young Scott, knowing that
his father would not let him take part
in the hunt, loaded up an old smooth
bore gun, crawled out of the house be-
fore daylight, and went out on his own
hook to hunt the bear. 1t was nearly
night when he came upon the bear, ly-
ing apparently asleep just before him.
He raised the gun to his shoulder, fired,
and fortunately reached the vitals of the
beast, and killed him instantly. When
he reached the tavern the hunters were
all relating their experience. He an
uounced that he had killed the bear and
agreed to show them where it was.
When they found the bear they con-
structed a litter on which to carry him
to town, and mounted Martin on top of
the bear. AS they passed his fathers
house. the old man called him down,
but, unlike the coon, the youngster
would not come, and the triumphant
crowd told his father that he had killed
the bear.
From his earliest days Capt. Scott was
q remarkably fine shot. His fame ran
over several counties. One day while he
was ploughing in the field letter was
handed him. He stopped his horse,
opened the letter and found that it en-
closed him a commission as Ensign in
the United States Army. To the day of
his death he never knew how this COM
mission came to be rendered him. He
never applied, and never thought of it.
He accepted it, however, and soon be-
came famous throughout the whole
army as the best shot of his day. Here
are some stories about his shooting told
upon the authority of Col. r. B. Marcy
of the United States Army:
In the presence of his company an ace
of clubs was tackled upon tree. Capt.
Scott measured seventy-fve yards from
the tree and took his position With a
muzzle loading squirrel rifle he proposed
to see how quickly he could load and
fire three times. He began, and in one
minute and twenty seconds had loaded
and fired three shots at the card. This
was very quick work, forcing him to
take a drop sight and fire instantaneous
ly. Col. Marcy went TO examine the
target and found one hole exactly in
the centre. He remarked, however,
that the other two shots had missed the
tree entirely. Capt. Scott smiled, called
for an axe, dug into the tree, and found |
the three balls embedded in a single |
hole. Col. Marcy says he has seen Off |
GERS who vouch for having seen Capt. |
Scott do this: He would take two pota-
taos, throw them into the air successive |
", and put pistol ball through both |
of them as they crossed in the air, one |
going up and one going down.
Naturally this was the sort of man |
that a fellow would not like to fight a |
duel with, and yet he had great many.
His first duel was under peculiar circum- |
stances. He was stationed on the from
tier at the military post of Council |
Bluffs. The army officers were then, as
they are not now, fond of a social glass,
and addicted to card playing. They
considered a man who abstained emit ely
from the like indulgen es as lacking in
the proper spirit. Capt. Scott never
drank glass of liquor in his life and
never played a game of cards, and, while
he was liberal in his intercourse with his
brother officers, was exceedingly parsi-
monious in his own personal expenses.
The officers of the post took umbrage at
ID
intercourse with him, until he was put
in coventry by all save two or three of
his most intimate associates. He sub
mitted for long time to the insults and
small sights, and then held council of
war with his three friends to determine
upon what had best be done. They in
formed him that only two alternatives
were left him. One was to throw up his
commission. The OF er was to chal-
lenge the first man who insulted him.
He promptly announced that lie chose
the latter course, aud his determination
became known throughout the post
His skill as a marksman and his I'M
doubted nerve protected him for a good
while, no one caring to provoke an en-
counter with him. At length, however
an officer from a neighboring post, who
was celebrated shot, and had brought
down his man in some half dozen duels,
came to the post
Capt. Scott's singular habits soon
gave him provocatiOn, and he put de-
liberate insult on him. The affair oc-
Cured at the mess table Capt. Scott |
left the room and Immediately sent a
challenge. In telling about the duel |
afterward Capt. Scott said that he went |
to the ground considerably sgitated 1t |
was his first duel, and being utterly OPP
posed to the practice, he had determined |
to throw away his fire. While the sec
onds were measuring the ground, and |
the principals with their friends were
grouped near each other, he accidently
overheard his antagonist say that he had
a very disagreeable job on hand that
morning, viz, the shooting of a id |
Yankee" This raised Capt. SCOTS in
dignatIon, and he determined that in
stead of throwing his fire away he would
put lis ball where it would do some
good. When the word was given the
men fired together. Capt Scott received
a slight flesh wound, and sent ball
whiznng through his opponents lungs
1t is mentioned as curious fact that this
shot saved the mans life. He had con-
sumption before the duel and recovered
afterward-it being said that the wound
he received stopped the course of the
disease. 1t is not stated, however, that
this remedy has become popular.